Driving mechanism for rotary valves



Aug.17,1926. 1,25%,330v

' R. F. BARKER I DRIVING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY VALVES Original Filed 5,1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug." 17 1926. R. F. BARKER DRIVING MECHANISM FORROTARY VALVES Original Filed 5 '1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 17,192%.

REUBEN r. BARKER, 0F PORTLAND, onneon.

' n'aivrns MECHANISM FOR Roinnir VALVES.

Original application iiIedF-ebruaryTS, 1925, Serial No. 7 654. Dividedand this application filed 1925. Serial N0. 43,290.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines andl hasparticularly to do with the valve mechanism thereof.

One of the particular objects of -my invention is to improve further therotary valve for explosive engines patented my-- self January 1, 1918,Patent No. 1,251,953. This application has been divided out of myco-pending application entitled Rotary valve ,for. internal combustionengines which was filed February 5th, 1925, receiving Serial No. 7054:.I I

One of the main improvements of my presentinvention which I haveembodied in. this divisionalapplication is to provide each cylinder,with, an independent rotary valve preferably of substantial cross sectional area, each ofsaid valves being driven by a gear connection to acommon drive shaft. I I

The main object of my present invention is to provide connecting devicesbetween said driving mechanism for eachof the independent valves and thecommon driving element whereby the valveoperations of all the cylinderscan be driven in time with each other and can be readily advanced orretarded in unison relatively to the motionof the crank shaft. To thisend said valve operating devices preferably consist of .a driving shaftprovided with worm and worm gears of'the type knownas spiral gears inwhich the worm gear is substantiallyflat-faced. Said worm gears aremounted on each of the valve operating mechanism and the worms are fixedto said driving shaft and thus by shifting said common driving shaftlongitudinally, the timing of all the valves will be advanced orretarded to an equal degree, due to the lead of the thread-like, orhelical, teeth on said worm.

A further object of my present invention is to provide gear connectionsof this character which are adapted to be mounted upon anti-frictionsupports so as to minimize the power lost through said powertransmission elements.

The further details of construction and mode of operation of myinvention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

In said drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan section taken through th alinedrotary valves of my improved engine July 1 3,

and diametrically through thejworm gears carried thereby;

Fig. 2 is a horizontals'ection taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 throughsaid worin gears showing the common driving shaft .and the worms carriedthereby; and I v Fig. 3 is a larger scaled section taken on the line 3-3ofFig. "1, said section being taken longitudinally through one of saidvalves and transverselythrough the common driving shaft and one wormcarried 7 thereby.

My invention is show n aseinbodied in a inu'lti-cylinder engine of thefour-cycle type. Said engine comprises cylinders 1 .in which the pistons2 reciprocate. Separate valves 3*, 3", 3 andfi respectively, control:the admission and emission of the gases menu from said cylinders .1,through the Icylindric al ports 4 in said cylinders. v

All of,:said valves 3%,33 3 ancl ;8'ai'e structurally the same and thusI will describe in detail. merely one of said valves and will refer,with similar reference characters, ;to the corresponding parts in theother of said valves. Each of said valves is journaled in a bore. insaid engine. which communicates with the working barrels of itsrespective cylindei through its cylinder ports, As is shown in .Figs. 1andfl, said valves in line: and a lay side by side, transversely of thecylinders. v

Each of saidyalves 3 3?, 3? and S car-ries a worm gear of the typelrnownas a spiral gear, numbered respectively, 5% 5 5 and "5?. Said worm gearsdrive said valvesthr-ough Oldhani couplings 6 6 6 and 6, respectively.Each of said worm. gears is carried upon a roller bearing 7, 7 7, or 7Said rollerbearings are mounted upon hollow trunnions 8, 8 8 and 8 whichare integral with and extend laterally from the housing 9, whichconstitutes a covering for said couplings, bearings, wormgears, and forthe common drive shaft 10, which carries the Worms 10, 10 10 and 10which mesh with and drive the worm gears 5 5 5 and 5 respectively, saidhousing being shown in section in Fig. 3. The tubular water conduits 11from each of said valves are also journaled in said housings, packing 12being arranged at both sides of the radial outlets 13 therein, as shownin Fig. 3. Said housing carries the cooling fluid manifold 1 1, as shownin Fig. 3. Said manifold has an outlet 1 1-", which communicates withthe radial outlets 13 which extend through said tubular conduit 11through a passageway 14.

Within said tubular conduit 11 is a smaller sized conduit 15 which has'aflange 15 at its outer extremity, which completely fills the bore ofthe tubular conduit 11. The bore of said smaller tubular conduit 15extends completely therethrough and forms a passageway for the coolingfluid which is completely separated from the passageway formed by theperiphery of the smaller conduit 15. The inlet 14 communicates with thebore in said smaller sized conduit 15 through a passageway 1 1 The inletand outlet 14a and 1 1- in the cooling fluid manifold are located at apoint above the major part of the valve so that a substantial amount ofcooling fluid will be entrapped within the valve so that if the supplyof cooling fluid should become depleted, the cooling fluid thusentrapped would be sufficient to substantially cover the exposedportions of the valve.

The connecting passageways 1s and 14 which connect said apertures A and14- with the respective outlet and inlet ends of the cooling fluidpassageway, are arranged vertically and constitute stand pipes adaptedto prevent the displacement of the cooling fluid as previously referredto.

Each of said valves comprise a cylindrical body which is provided with apassageway 17 for the incoming gases, a passageway 18 for the exhaustgases, and a continuous passageway 19 adjacent said gas passageways forthe cooling fluid. The arrangement of the passageways in this mannerpermits the heat of the exhaust gases to be removed in part so as toprevent said excessive heat from binding said valves in their seats, dueto distortion.

1 provide a means for timing all of said valves uniformly by threadingthe end-caps 20 and 21, in which the ends of the common driving shaft 10is journaled. Said shaft 10 is driven by the chain 22 mounted upon thesprocket 23, keyed to said shaft 10, shown in Fig. 2, and it is to beunderstood that said chain 22 is connected to the crank shaft for saidengine, in the common manner, so that said valve can be maintained insynchronism with said shaft.

By providing intermeshing worms and worm gears, carried in part by saidshaft and in part by said valves 3 3 3 and 3, I am able to advance orretard the timing of said valves uniformly by adjusting said shaft 10longitudinally. Each one of said end caps 20 or 21 may be backed offslightly and the other cap tightened correspondingly to produce thischange in timing by causing the shaft 10 to be adjusted longitudinally.Due to the lead in the teeth of the worm, this will cause the worm gearsto be givena partial rotation and said valves being connected with thecrankshaft, will thus be advanced or retarded relatively thereto, bysaid adjustment.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a series of cylinders, and a valvefor each cylinder, valve operating mechanism for each valve, and commonactuating means for said valve operating mechanism, a drive shaft,spiral gear wheels included in said valve actuating means in partcarried by said shaft, the latter shaft being mounted in'longitudinallyadjustable end caps adapted thereby to advance and retard the valveoperations relatively to the position of the engines crank shaft.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotary valve mountedin the head thereof, a spiral gear connected to said rotary valve, adriving spiral Worm meshing with said spiral gear, said Worm beingmounted in longitudinally adjustable end caps adapted thereby to advanceor retard the relative timing of the valve'operations.

REUBEN F. BARKER.

